Red Sox Acquire Lefty-Masher From Tigers In Small Trade
Detroit, which designated Jones for assignment last week, will receive a player to be named later in return.
Boston had an open 40-man roster spot after designating left-hander Danny Coulombe for assignment a couple of days earlier, and optioned Nate Eaton to Triple-A to clear an active roster spot for Jones.
Why Boston Took The Shot
The appeal is what Jones did a year ago.
Added to the Detroit roster in June 2025, Jones put up a huge .287/.387/.550 slash line across 150 plate appearances, good for a 159 wRC+, with most of that damage coming in a short-side platoon role against left-handed pitching.
The 2026 version cratered.
Jones hit just .137/.219/.221 across 105 plate appearances, and while some of that is rooted in a .190 batting average on balls in play, his strikeout rate ballooned from 21.3 percent to 33.3 percent.
The #RedSox today acquired OF/DH Jahmai Jones from the Detroit Tigers, in exchange for a player to be named later.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 14, 2026
To make room on the active roster, Boston optioned INF/OF Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester.
He is out of options, which squeezed him off the Detroit roster.
Boston, riding a scorching stretch into the break with nine straight wins and victories in 14 of their last 16 games, is trying to sustain that momentum and climb into playoff contention.
Jones provides outfield insurance while Roman Anthony continues a longer-than-expected recovery from a hand injury.
A Familiar Type Of Move
Jones is a journeyman who has appeared for the Angels, Orioles, Brewers, Yankees, and Tigers, and was Aaron Judge's home run celebration partner during his 33-game stint with the 2024 Yankees.
The Red Sox have made a habit of acquiring former Yankees, from Aroldis Chapman and Sonny Gray to Carlos Narvaez, and Jones is the latest.
His true talent likely lies somewhere between his 2025 and 2026 extremes, and Boston is betting the friendly confines of Fenway Park can help him rediscover the bat that made him a useful weapon against lefties.
